nāhaṁ prakāśhaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛitaḥ
mūḍho ’yaṁ nābhijānāti loko mām ajam avyayam
na — not;
aham — I;
prakāśhaḥ — manifest;
sarvasya — to everyone;
yoga-māyā — God’s supreme (divine) energy;
samāvṛitaḥ — veiled;
mūḍhaḥ — deluded;
ayam — these;
na — not;
abhijānāti — know;
lokaḥ — persons;
mām — me;
ajam — unborn;
avyayam — immutable
In this verse, Krishna is explaining why many people do not see Him as He truly is. Even though Krishna was physically present on Earth, not everyone understood who He was. Only a small number of people recognized Him as the Supreme Being, while many others saw Him just as an ordinary person.
Take the example of Krsna’s time when he was interacting with everyone around Him. There were people like the Pandavas, who were His devotees, and they understood Krishna's true divinity and loved Him for it. They saw Him as more than just a person; they saw Him as the source of all joy and the Supreme Lord. In contrast, many others, like Sisupala, could not see past their own doubts and hatred. Sisupala argued against Krishna and could not accept Him as someone great. This shows that people’s perceptions can be influenced by their feelings and understanding.
Krishna is saying that, because of His divine energy (yoga-maya), many people are simply unable to recognize Him. It’s like when someone is in a state of confusion or has narrow beliefs; they end up missing out on the bigger picture. He describes these people as deluded or foolish because they focus on material things and their personal desires, which prevent them from seeing the truth about Him.
To those who are not His followers or who don't believe, Krishna seems hidden or veiled. He is not obvious or straightforward to them. This means that while He is everywhere and controls everything, many people live their lives without understanding this. They continue to see Him as just another person rather than as the eternal, unchanging, and perfect source of all life and happiness.
In summary, Krishna emphasizes that only the wise, those who are sincere and devote their lives to understanding Him, can truly realize His presence. For everyone else—including those who are distracted by negative feelings or limited knowledge—He remains hidden. Understanding Krishna requires faith and a willingness to see beyond everyday appearances.